Creeper



S. S. SMITH F eb. 6, 1962 CREEPER Filed March 9, 1960 Sherman 5. Smith INVENTOR.

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n zsm United States Patent 3,019,533 CREEPER Sherman S. Smith, 127 NW. D St., Grants Pass, Oreg. Filed Mar. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 13,929 2 Claims. (Cl. 367.6)

The present invention generally relates to a creeper and more particularly involves certain improvements and novel structural arrangements over that type of structure shown in prior Patent No. 2,726,461 granted Decembe 13, 1955.

The present inventionhas for its primary object the provision of a creeper constructed of flexible material that enables it to be employedwith various types of footwear with the flexibility ofthecreeper permitting it to readily conform to the article of footwear with which it is worn and also enabling the creeper to conform to the material engaged thereby whether it be sand, gravel, rocks, submerged logs or whatever thereby enabling a person to have better footing while wading.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a creeper in which the flexible sole is provided with renewable and replaceable caulks thereon which are securely retained and arranged to provide maximum traction.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of reinforced heel sockets which prevent back slipping of the sandal.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide webbing straps that are skeletonized for lightness, toughness and maximum durability.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a creeper generally in the nature of an auxiliary sole attachable to various types of footwear which is relatively simple in construction, easy to use, effective for its particular purposes and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

'Ihese together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accornpanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the creeper of the present invention illustrating the manner in which it is attached to the shoe or boot of a person employing the device;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the construction of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse, sectional view of the creeper illustrating the structure thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded group perspective view illustrating one of the removable caulks; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the relationship of the components of the caulks when they are installed.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the creeper of the present inven tion for attachment to a conventional boot or shoe shown in dotted line in FIGURE 1 and generally designated by the numeral 12.

The creeper 10 includes an elongated flexible plate or sole 14 generally in the outline of a shoe or boot sole and the sole or plate 14 is constructed of rubber-like material having suflicient resiliency and flexibility to enable it to immediately conform to the surfaces on which the sole 14 is engaged.

At the rear edge of the sole 14, there is provided an upstanding U-shaped heel socket 16 which may be reinforced by an aluminum insert. The heel socket 16 is provided with spaced vertical slits 18 receiving the central portion of an anchor strap 20 having loops 22 in the free ends thereof.

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Across the front portion of the sole 14, there is provided a pair of transverse passageways 24 receiving a pair I tending generally transversely but in angular position to a transverse axis of the creeper.

At the toe of the sole or plate 14 there is provided a retainer strap 26 having the same type of loop 28 as on the transverse straps 26. The loops 28 on the straps 26 as well as the loops 22 on the angle strap 20 are all interconnected by a flexible line 30 which extends through all of the loops 28 and 22 and is substantially tied into a knot as at 32 for retaining the creeper 10 in. position on the article offootwear.

The sole or plate 14 is provided with a plurality of removable caulks generally designated by the: numeral 34 each of which includes a screw threaded shank 36 having a pointed lower end 38 and a slotted head 40 received within a counterbored recess 42 in the sole '14. A nut 44 is screw threaded onto the threaded shank 36 of the caulk 34 and the nut 44 is tapered suflicient to generally form an extension of the taper of the pointed end of the shank.

The arrangement of the caulking devices is such that they are disposed completely around the periphery of the sole and also along the center line thereof and under the ball of the foot.

In using the present invention, the arrangement of the caulks is such that a secure gripping action is assured and the removability of the caulks and the manner in which they are attached clearly provides a superior creeper. Also, the flexibility of the sandal along with the flexible manner in which it is attached enables the sandal to flex and conform to the surface engaged thereby.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A creeper comprising a sole of flexible material generally in the shape of the sole of an article of footwear, an upstanding heel socket at one end of said sole for engagement with the heel portion of an article of footwear, a plurality of pointed caulks mounted on said sole and distributed throughout the area thereof, said caulks projecting from the bottom surface of said sole and including headed ends recessed into the upper surface thereby providing a smooth upper surface for engagement with the sole of an article of footwear, the portion of said sole remote from the heel socket having a pair of transverse passageways, a flexible strap received in each passageway, an elongated strap connected to said heel socket and having forwardly extending end portions, a toe strap connected to the toe end portion of said sole, each of said straps having a loop on the free end thereof, each of said end portions of said elongated strap having a loop on the free end thereof, and a flexible line extending through the loops and securing the sole to an article of footwear.

2. A creeper for attachment to an article of footwear comprising an elongated flexible body having substantially the same thickness throughout and provided with rounded ends, said body adapted to underlie the sole of an article of footwear, the rear rounded edge of said body having an upstanding flange thereon forming a. heel socket for receiving the heel portion of an article of footwear, the forward portion of said body having at least one transverse passageway therein, a flexible strap disposed in said passageway, the ends of the strap extending beyond the side edges of the body and terminating in end loops, strap means attached to said upstanding flange-0n the rear end of the body, said strap means terminating in loops, and a flexible tie string interconnecting the loops for securing the body to the article of footwear, a plurality of rigid caulks projecting downwardly from the lower surface of said body for providing traction for a person using the device, each of said caulks including a rigid threaded stem having a pointed lower end and a headed upper end, a retaining nut engaging the threaded stem and engaging the bottom surface of said body, the headed end of the stern being received in a recess in the top surface of the body thereby leaving the top surface of the body smooth, said retaining nut having tapered surfaces on the exterior thereof generally conforming to the taper of the pointed end of the stem thereby providing a substantially continuous pointed caulk from the bottom surface of the body to the tip of the stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

